1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices for mixing materials in a closed container and more particularly to a shaker for mixing components of liquid base materials in miniature size containers, for example finishing materials used by a hobbyist to paint a model.
2. Prior Art
Liquid base materials such as paints and mastic may include ground solids suspended in a liquid medium. Because the components of such materials have different specific gravities, settling over time occurs. The lighter components separate upward and the heavier components downward. If settling occurs, the components are preferably remixed to return the material to a uniform consistency before use.
Mechanical devices for such mixing have been used for some time. One such small quantity mixture, perhaps directed more to amusement than to utility, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,710,507. A drink mixing mannequin has a double crank mechanism which gyrates a torso portion of the mannequin. This motion is transferred to a small drinking glass carried by the mannequin. A further device useful for mixing small quantities of material is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,061,315. This mixing device includes a holding tray connected to a cabinet through a set of bearings. The bearings are disposed at a joinder of pairs of spaced channels attached to the tray and cabinet respectively. The bearings allow a motor driven cam to rotate the tray in an orbitial path.
A still further mixer is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,735,962. This device is particularly useful for shaking the contents of jars during food preparation. This mixer has a motor driven offset crank which produces vertical reciprocation. During such reciprocation, the jar is also oscillated about its horizontal axis in that the jar holding structure connects with two sets of pivot linkages. Another mixer is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,235,553. Contents of a container are mixed while the container is first rotated about a vertical axis of the mixer and concurrently the container is rotated about its longitudinal axis which has been set in a vertically offset position.